I had right nephrectomy in june 2023 and also took the adrenal gland and immunotherapy for 1 year. Latest scans show 6mm nodule on thyroid and a scan after showed no evidence of cancer but how can they be sure without biopsy because i went to ent today and he is not bothered by it but said i have 1.5cms nodule on left adrenal gland which may be a spread from kidney cancer and will probably remove the gland incase so why not take thyroid one out
Hi Doris1984,
Thank you for getting in touch and welcome to the online community. My name is Anne, and I am one of the nurses on the Support Line.
It’s natural that you are concerned about the nodule which was discovered on your thyroid. The majority of thyroid nodules are, however, benign (non-cancerous). Incidental thyroid nodules are often discovered when scans are carried out for other reasons than thyroid problems. Nodules which have concerning features may require a biopsy and those which do not are often just monitored. ENT UK has more information on thyroid nodules which you may wish to read through.
As we are not directly involved in your care, we would suggest you contact your ENT consultant to discuss your concerns further. You may wish to ask them what sort of monitoring you can expect now that they have found this small nodule. Ultrasounds may be used to help determine if a biopsy is needed. A surgeon would be unlikely to decide to remove the thyroid without a clinical reason for doing so as this may lead to lifelong side effects.
I understand that kidney cancer may have spread to your remaining adrenal gland, and further surgery has been recommended. This must be a difficult time for you, and it can be hard knowing where to begin for support. Kidney Cancer UK has lots of information and support which you may find helpful. Sometimes chatting to others in a similar situation can be beneficial. We also have our own kidney cancer forum which you may wish to consider joining for some peer support.
You should have your own Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). They work closely with your kidney cancer consultant and can also provide you with answers to some of your questions. It might be worth getting in touch with them to let them know of your concerns about the thyroid nodule.
I hope this information is helpful. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of my colleagues on the Support Line if you’d to talk things over in more depth.
Take care for now,
Anne - Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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